Vipers Hit The Road:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Vipers hit the road

Morning Star staff

Fri Sept 15th 2017

It's road trip time for the Vernon Vipers.

The 2-0 Snakes visit the 0-2 Merritt Centennials tonight to start a stretch of eight away tilts in 22 days. Vernon takes on the defending champion 1-0 Wild Saturday night in Wenatchee.

The Cents lost 5-1 to Wenatchee and 4-2 to the Penticton Vees in home-ice action on opening week-end. They gave up 15 powerplay opportunities while going 0-8 with the man advantage.

Merritt had difficulty gaining the other team's zone, struggled to set up when they did get across the blueline, and couldn't find passing or shooting lanes in order to generate legitimate scoring chances.

All is not doom and gloom, how-ever. The Centennials first 120 minutes of hockey also displayed a number of bright spots.

First and foremost was the solid neminding of Jake Berger. Despite allowing four goals each night in the weekend losses, the 20-year old Minnesotan looked poised, quick and ready to have an outstanding year. With a very capable Vincent Duplessis waiting in the wings, puckstopping is not going to be the Cents Achilles heel this season.

The Vipers, meanwhile don't get a home game until Saturday, Oct. 7 against Penticton. They rang up 11 goals in a pair of wins over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks with goalies Anthony Yamnitsky and Ty Taylor both posting wins. Yamnitsky was the No. 1 tender in Wenatchee last season.

Returning centre Brett Stapley says his line with veteran Jimmy Lambert and newcomer Tanner Wishnowski is meshing well along with the entire team. They pocketed a dozen points in Saturday night's 6-5 win.

"That was a fun game to play in, an offensive game back and fourth a lot," said Stapley. "I think we're starting to get comfortable with one another now and it's good to see that. He's (Wishnowski) fitting in well. We had some nice give-and-goes."

The Vipers will roll four lines most nights and kill teams on the powerplay.

"I have a feeling this team's going to be pretty special," said Stapley. "We havew four lines that are skilled and they can skate."

Meanwhile the grand opening of the BC Hockey Regional Centre-Okanagan is today at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm.

The event starts at 3:45pm with a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by a Hot Stove panel prior to the Silverbacks-Vees game. All events are open to the pulic.

BC Hockey Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Barry Petrachenko, and Salmon Arm Mayor Nancy Cooper will be present.

The Hot Stove League includes Salmon Arm Sportd Inc. Group president and GM Troy Mick, a former professional player. Petrachenko and Salmon Arm Minor Hockey Association (MHA) president, Yim Giandomenico.